The Diabetes Research Center (DRC) of the University of Pennsylvania is now accepting applications for support to perform pilot and feasibility studies in diabetes and related endocrine and metabolic disorders for the 2024 - 2025 award cycle.

The Application Deadline is Monday, December 18, 2023 by 5:00 pm.

The P&F program is intended to support new investigators and established investigators new to diabetes research. Established diabetes investigators pursing high impact/high risk projects or projects that are a significant departure from their usual work are also eligible for support under the DRC P&F program. Applications are welcome from basic, clinical and translational investigators.

Eligibility

  • All eligible investigators must have faculty appointments at the commencement of the award and be independent investigators.
  • The definition of faculty status may vary across institutions. Therefore, eligibility to apply for this P&F grant is defined as being eligible to submit an R01 as a PI at the start of the grant period.
  • Applications are welcomed from basic, clinical and translational investigators.
  • A second year of funding is possible with demonstrated productivity. Such continuation requests need to be carefully justified, however, and will be considered as a competing renewal application (see below). Support for a second year is not allowed if the applicant has received external funding for the same project.
  • Pilot Grant eligibility is restricted to members of the Penn DRC and that investigators must be located at an Institution in the greater Philadelphia area.
  • Applicants must be US. citizens or have permanent visas.

Your application will include the following:

  • Cover page – includes abstract/project summary of up to 250 words
  • NIH-formatted biosketch for PI and collaborators
  • Budget and Budget Justification – for one year; 1 page only (Note: equipment, travel, and PI salary are NOT permitted on budget)
  • Funding level maximum is $50,000.
  • Current Award period: April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025.
  • Specific aims, research strategy (significance, innovation, approach and preliminary studies) – up to 3 pages total
  • References – 1 page only
  • Status of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for clinical studies or IACUC approval for animal use. If approvals are pending at the time of submission, they must be obtained before funding commences. Funds will not be disbursed without copies of IRB / IACUC approval letters.
  • If human subjects will be participating in the proposed research, an NIH Targeted / Planned Enrollment Table needs to be completed
  • Submission is now electronic.

Renewal Applications:

  • Applications for a second year of funding should follow the format of new applications but also include a progress report describing accomplishments from Year 1 of funding - up to 4 pages total. Evidence of progress from Year 1 of funding is essential. Please include an NIH Inclusion Enrollment Report if human subjects were involved in your research.

Post-Award Requirements

Once a grant is awarded, the responsibilities of successful applicants include involvement in the local diabetes community through seminar presentations and participation in local events of the diabetes research community, acknowledgement of Diabetes Center support in any publications emanating from the supported project, as well as progress reports and reporting of successful and independent grant applications resulting from the work supported by the DRC P&F grant.

  • Awardees are required to inform the DRC in the event that the P&F Project receives external funding during the project period.
  • All awardees are asked to acknowledge DRC support in all scientific posters, presentations and publications using the specific language listed below:
    • Direct DRC Funding Support: "This research was supported by a pilot award from the DRC at the University of Pennsylvania from a grant sponsored by NIH DK 19525."
  • Awardees may be invited to present a seminar at the weekly IDOM/DRC Seminar Series.
  • All awardees must present a poster at the Annual Diabetes Spring Symposium.
  • A final progress report is due one month after the close of the project period. The one page report will contain a synopsis of scientific progress, a list of resulting collaborations, publications, and grants, and a description of the relationship of the project to Core usage.
  • Awardees must report yearly for 5 years and every five years after on publications, grants, awards, patents and promotions on core utilization.
  • Awardees must apply for DRC Membership prior to receiving Pilot funds (https://www.med.upenn.edu/idom/drc/drc_app.html)

For additional information, please contact:
Lisa Henry
Tel: 215-898-4365,
e-mail: henryli@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
OR

Dr. Patrick Seale, Director
e-mail: sealep@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dr. Doris Stoffers, Associate Director
Pilot and Feasibility Grants Program
Tel: 215-573-5413,
e-mail: stoffers@pennmedicine.upenn.edu